Draconic tales
by Griffontastic
Summary: Lyra is a Breton scholar working at the University of Gwylim. She found out the hard way that accepting an invitation to a Dwemer excavation site in a country ravaged by war might not be the best idea. We learn her reaction to various events from her journal. We are not, however, the only ones reading. (M for future content)
1. Chapter 1

**Draconic Tales**

CH.1

"We have secured the book Ser!"

The woman's hands felt suddenly weak and tingly as she reached for the volume eagerly.

"Good job! If there are any updates on her whereabouts I want to be notified immediately. You are dismissed."

Her brows knotted in concentration as she traced light fingertips over the cover of this valuable source. Will the information within finally lead to the elusive woman whose disappearance caused such a stir in their worlds? Was she the reason of all this chaos? Where is she now?

With anticipation, she opened the journal of the Dragonborn.

_The Journal_

_-Last Seed, 17th, 4E 201-_

_Let's head to Skyrim! What an interesting time to further my studies in such a curious land! Well, mission accomplished. Idiot._

_Falling face first into the Stormcloak - Imperial conflict is one thing. But being sent to the chopping block to then be saved by the attack of a BLOODY DRAGON is another._

_Alright. This might not be the way to start a journal. I suppose, it is best if I make some introductions first._

_..._

_Dear Fictional Friend who shall be my emotional refuse bucket for the foreseeable future,_

_Let me introduce myself: I am Lyra – Breton, scholar, champion of idiotic ideas. This is the tale of my arrival into the the war-torn province of Skyrim._

_As a scholar with a particular focus on Dwemer archaeology, my interest in the city of Markarth is not what one could call surprising. In fact, it is borderline cliché. Two years ago I joined the ranks of professors at the University of Gwylim and I have been in correspondence with the renowned, slightly haughty researcher Calcelmo ever since. I have received an invitation to his current excavation in Markarth with delight, even though the generally rebellious political climate of Skyrim made my objective seem rather tricky to reach. It did not stop this damn genius though, oh no!_

_My travel plans seemed solid and getting to Riften, a seedy yet bustling commercial town at the South Eastern edge of Skyrim, was not as problematic as I expected it to be. Troubles started, however, after I departed. I aimed to give Eastmarch Hold a wide berth; afterall, who needs the inconvenience of a rebellion when there is research to be done elsewhere. Long story short, I was not successful with my evasive tactics since I managed to gloss over some pretty significant signs suggesting I should turn back immediately - still smoking wood in a hearth, tracks left by multiple men, horses and so on. I guess you could say I am not necessarily the most observant person on Nirn. _

_What I should say in my defence is that this land is truly beautiful. As I was admiring the nature and pondered the beauty of the diverse, ever changing vegetation and rich wild life my peacefully meandering thoughts were disturbed by shouts and something hard and heavy was forcefully introduced to the back of my head. Since I blacked out afterwards, I can only assume I toppled over with the grace of a horker and fell flat on my face. _

_I have awoken sitting in a rattling cart with a splitting headache and a bloody nose. I was not alone. It seems, in typical Lyra fashion, I stumbled into something I should not have. An Imperial ambush. As Ralof, a talkative Nord rebel and my new cart-mate explained, we were taken as prisoners along with Ulfric Bloody Stormcloak (seated to my right) and were probably going to be executed. Not to worry though, because Sovengard awaits. Brilliant! I wondered briefly whether Bretons would be able to enter the realm of Nordic afterlife. Based on what I remember from my studies there certainly are a lot of drinks there which was rather appealing at the time._

_Our little party arrived to a town called Helgen, where in addition to the Imperial soldiers the Thalmor were also curiously present. Those bastards are just about everywhere within the Empire lately. I reckon this was no coincidence either. _

_Suddenly, I found myself in front of an Imperial officer and his list. Well, of course I was nowhere to be found on it so I decided that this my time to make it clear I am no rebel but a professor of the University of Gwylim and this is clearly a blatant abuse of power. How dare they bind me like this and where was our fair trial? The officer was apologetic, but his captain was not interested in anything I had to say. What a bitch. Oh well, at least my remains will be taken back to High Rock, said officer checklist. These Nords sure know how to cheer a woman up._

_I can only recall some of the words that were being said afterwards; in all honesty, I did not really care about the accusations made by the Empire. Soon, there I was, looking at the chopping block. My thoughts were a mess as I laid my head down. I should have written home more; I really should have ventured into more Dwemer ruins. Also, it has been too long; I really should have had sex one more time and that mercenary I saw last night was rather handsome. To Oblivion with it all, at least the last thing I will see is a… huge bat-thing? No, not really, it is more lizard like… Kind of like… It's a fucking DRAGON!_

_So there. My head stayed fixed firmly to my neck. Cart-mate Ralof appeared in front of me (possibly disappointed by having to be late to the party in Sovengard) and together we ran for it. We made it to the keep with some of the other Stormcloaks, including Ulfric himself. There was a close encounter with the dragon again as it broke through the wall and roasted one of the rebels alive. This dragon-made hole, however, provided us with a route of escape, albeit with not a very good one. When it was my turn to jump out onto an adjacent building with my hands still bound, all I could think of was how ridiculously stupid would it be to survive an execution, a dragon, but fall victim to my clumsiness and general lack of orientation. _

_Shockingly, I lived and found myself at the side of officer note board - his name is Hadvar, apparently. He seemed the decent sort actually, he saved a kid from certain death and led us to the other end of the keep. I wish he would have stopped calling me 'Prisoner' though. We ran into Ralof and by Akatosh, did things get awkward! It was clear these two have history and that they do not exactly approve of each other's life choices. Suddenly I had a decision to make. Follow the Imperial officer or the Stormcloak rebel. I am not going to lie; if I had time to think it over, there is a chance I would have chosen differently. I like to rely on my gut, however, more than it is proper for a scholar. I ran after the rebel._

_I donned the clothes of a fallen Stormcloak soldier, picked up an axe and conjured a familiar to aid us. To get through the keep and out of Helgen a fight was inevitable. While I was no stranger to warfare theory and already had some experience with defending myself against the odd mechanical spider and Falmer in Dwemer ruins, this was different. These were soldiers, people. There were a lot of losses on both sides. _

_Ralof and I got separated from the others, found ourselves in a cave surrounded by spiders of all things! Too many legs, too many eyes, just not natural! Ralof seemed to feel the same way, what a great bonding moment it was… We made it out of the cave and out of Helgen soon after. As I watched the dragon fly away in the distance, I began to truly appreciate the situation we were in. I was in a foreign land with a man at my side hunted by the Empire. I almost got executed today. Most importantly, dragons were back! Perhaps there is a new area of research I should consider?_

_We headed to the town of Riverwood to see Ralof's family. On our journey my surprisingly perky companion (considering what we have just been through) gave me a brief introductory lesson to Skyrim and the rebellion I accidentally became part of. Although I knew most of the details already, hearing the Stormcloak point of view certainly put some of the events preceding the upheaval into a different light. This is something to ponder another day, however. I made a note of the large burial complex above Riverwood, it could be interesting to see some of the local archaeological sites at one point. _

_Gerdur, Ralof's sister, took us in for the time being. I should probably try and make my way to Markarth soon, but I owe these people quite the favour. While my new friend has to lay low, I am able to head to Whiterun, the capital of this hold to inform the 'Jarl' of the dragon attack. While I loath politics, this province is so very different from what I am used to, coming from High Rock and Cyrodiil, I cannot help but be curious about the structure of this society; and Jarls seem to be at the top of the political food chain. Sure, I have made some stupid decisions but one more tiny detour cannot hurt. _

_I better get some shut eye, everyone else seems to be asleep too. _

_Whiterun… Sounds lovely. I would not mind to be part of a more subdued adventure from now on._

As she finishes the first entry there is no denying her surprise. "These are the words of the Bane of the dragon they call the _World Eater_? Not exactly what I expected."


	2. Chapter 2 - Skyrim

The small encampment had just begun to stir to life as the first light of the new day glistened at the peaks of Mount Anthor. As the soldiers readied themselves for what would be another, likely unsuccessful, day of pursuit they were blissfully unaware of the watchful eyes of an elven woman with ashen skin looking at them from behind a rocky outcrop.

It has been two days since the magi of the College of Winterhold felt a magical disturbance originating from the depths of the mountains; two days since Brelyna set out to identify the source of this upsurge of magicka. She finally stumbled upon the trail that lead her to a relatively well sheltered campsite and its strange inhabitants. Brelyna has been observing these people for half a day now. The group consisted mostly of humans and a few elves; although the latter were curiously different from her own people or that of the altmer. Instead of golden or greyish tint their skin appeared to have similar shades to the various humans. The armour donned by the strange collective was foreign to her eyes, perhaps they hail from High Rock? The banners carried by the outlanders were perhaps the most alien sight: a blazing eye with a longsword in the background. The origin and intent of these newcomers, as well as their connection to the disturbance remained a mystery, for now. Just as Brelyna contemplated creeping closer to the tent nearby that has been left unattended in search of more information, the voices of two men in rapid conversation cut through the thick morning air. She took a few steps back and once safely hidden, she attempted to sneak a peek at the speakers.

They were both human, soldier types clearly. One was a youthful man with a pale complexion and soft waves of deep red colour. The other, on the other hand, seemed more grizzled, with dark disheveled hair and chiseled features covered in stubble, in addition to a number of tattoos and scars. _Red_ seemed to be rather unhappy and as they drew closer, Brelyna could soon make out their words.

"I truly wish this damn rift would have lead us to an island paradise instead of this bone chilling cold!"

"Ah, but then we would not be where we are needed! Besides, a little bit of fresh mountain air cannot hurt us can it? Though I suppose the occasional fight with those strange furry white beasts could leave us with a broken bone or two." Said the tattooed man jovially.

"Yes. Well, your words give me comfort, as always…"

"Watch it Mallory!" He chided, though there was no threat in his words. "The Lady Seeker was very clear in her instructions. We will find this College and hopefully, we will be able to get audience with this _Dragonborn_."

"How do we even know if this woman, this _Mage_ could or for that matter would help us?"

"Aye, we are foreign to this land and to its people, but I'd wager that a gash in their sky would concern them just as much as it did us. So we must try and speak with her, mage or no mage."

"Yes, Knight-Captain!"

Brelyna had heard enough: a gash in the sky, outlanders seeking her home and her friend. She withdrew from the camp in silence and headed back to the College at a fast pace, only stopping for a brief rest along the way. With the arch-mage's current absence it was imperative that the more senior staff are alerted to the situation immediately. The institution was still in the process of recovery from recent events involving a highly unpleasant altmer, Ancano and the Eye of Magnus, a magical artifact of great destructive potential. It seemed, however, that their resolve will be tested again and very soon.


	3. Chapter 3 - Skyrim

This world was not a desolate land of snow and beasts alone after all. The scouts ventured North in search of signs of life and returned victorious, having located a small settlement, in a rather ruinous state. Beyond the houses of the village and the steep cliffs an enormous building stood and almost seemed to levitate above the sea, with only a thin bridge serving as a link to the landmass. Winterhold and its college were finally within reach.

A select group of inquisition soldiers with Captain Rylen in the lead approached Winterhold with caution. The village while in a sorry condition at the moment has clearly enjoyed wealth and served as home for a much larger population not too long ago. The disparity between the tattered houses and the College of magi could not have been more prominent. It made Rylen wonder if magic had something to do with the situation. Magic ultimately always had a prize. He was not able to wonder too long, however, as an invisible barrier cut off their company before they could enter Winterhold.

_Fan-fucking-tastic. _Thought the Captain. "Alright lads, it seems we have to work for this. Let's purge the barrier!" As they aimed to focus on the magical boundary, however, it felt somehow… different. It even smelled different. While the power surged through the veins of the former templars, it could not quite find a hold over this strangely woven spell. While the man with the tattooed face was not one to readily admit defeat, he had to concede that the situation might call for slight alteration of their plan.

At this point, however, four figures appeared as if from nowhere among the buildings and were headed their way. A curious group to put it mildly. An elderly man with unusual braids, a young lad with his hood covering most of his face and two women, elves. They were unlike any elf on Thedas, however. Behind the templar knights Jana, a relatively fresh elven agent poked her head out to get a better view of these new arrivals. The ashen skin of one woman made her scarlet eyes burn even brighter, while the other almost glowed with a golden shade. All of them were wearing strangely light robes considering the freezing climate.

"From where and for what reason have you come armed to our hold and why do you hunt for one of our own?" Said the old man in a booming voice unexpectedly. Rylen stepped forward with authority, though in all honesty he had no idea how to tell their story without seeming like a complete lunatic.

"I see you were expecting us. I assure you, we do not mean to threaten or harm anyone. My name is Knight-Captain… uhm, Captain Rylen and we are representatives of the Inquisition" - he said while indicating the small group of humans and elves behind him - ",an organisation in, well, a land you most likely have never heard of. Our home is called Thedas. A few months ago the sky literally opened up above us spewing all sorts of nasty creatures from another realm called the Fade. It appears that over two days ago a new rift opened that created a bridge to your world instead, however. It swallowed our leader, our Inquisitor and in return spat out one of your people. I realise how crazy this all sounds."

"I truly don't think you do." said the elf with the golden skin.

"You have felt the disturbance Faralda, it happened about two and a half days ago. " Whispered the young man to his companion.

"So you say this _Inquisitor_ of yours disappeared and you received one of _our_ people in his stead. Who would this person be? Where are they from and why are they not with you?" Asked the other elven woman.

"His name is Erik… _the Slayer_. Young lad, fiery hair, talks fast and a lot, even when he is at the brink of passing out due to exhaustion." The eyes of the elf twitched ever so slightly, but this was enough for Rylen to realise she has a good idea of who he speaks of. _Good._ "He was in no condition to join us so soon after his abrupt appearance in Thedas, it took quite a toll on him. However, he managed to tell us that he was journeying with whom he called the _Dragonborn_, a hero of this land when a similar rift appeared in Skyrim to that of ours. Since he was the only one who appeared on our side, we assumed Inquisitor Travelyan must be with the _Dragonborn_ and they headed to the College of Magi to learn more about the situation. We were chosen to cross this rift and retrieve our Inquisitor." And there it was. The wild and absolutely mental story that was the truth. Perhaps not the whole truth, their access to the journal of the _Dragonborn_ and its analysis in order to assess the potential value and security of an alliance with the mage was best kept a secret for now. The four magi were in deep thought for a minute.

"When we arrived you were trying to manipulate our barrier. What were you doing? Are you learned in the arts of magic as well?" Asked the old man abruptly.

Rylen heaved a deep sigh of frustration but made the decision to be upfront about their abilities. "We are no mages, but we can purge spells when necessary. In Thedas we can, at least. Here, however…"

"Our magic must be different, built on different principles and energy… Fascinating. Excellent, you pose no immediate threat to us in that case. My name is Tolfdir and I am a senior enchanter at the College. My colleagues here are Faralda, Brelyna and Onmund. Follow us, won't you? We have much to discuss!" Tolfdir made a light gesture with his hands and the barrier was lifted in an instant. _They do not even need to use a staff_. Thought Captain Rylen of Starkhaven.

*** Meanwhile in a very different place ***

"Hurry up Lyra, these blighted things seem to be catching up to us!" Aedan's voice came out rough and cracked, they clearly were on the run too long.

"Ah thank you Inquisitor, I would not have noticed the giant creatures practically breathing at my neck!" Even sarcasm felt all too tiring, thought the woman as she kept trying to keep up with the tall man in front of her.

Thunder and lightning struck somewhere in the distance and suddenly the monstrosities chasing them were gone. Their scenery changed dramatically at the same time.

"By the nine, we better make it out of here soon or we'll be done for." Said the woman running her hand through her deep brown braids.


	4. Chapter 4 - Dreamstride

CH.4

Impenetrable darkness and absolute, painful silence. Deaf and blind she was crawling forward on the damp and cracked floor in desperation to find something to hold onto; but there was nothing. She could not remember where she was, what she was doing here. She truly was utterly alone in this blackened world.

As her mind cleared memories of recent events began creeping into her mind. She was in a temple near Dawnstar with… 'Erik! Where the hell is Erik!?' As the thought occurred to her the memory of a great green light, seemingly a gash in the fabric of Mundus itself shines in her mind. 'We fell through, but I arrived alone.' Confusion, anger and grief fought over her senses as wolf pups do over the raw piece of flesh of a fallen creature. Alone and abandoned in a world of nightmares… But that just couldn't be. There was someone else she met here… Another mage from a strange place called: Thedas…

"Aedan!" The shout tore her throat raw. As soon as the sound broke the punishing quiet, however, the darkness retreated as the morning haar of the Sea of Ghosts and the world has yet again transformed. Lyra suddenly found herself in a dense forest illuminated by a purple gloom. On her right she noticed her companion sunken next to a particularly rugged tree while holding onto his side.

"That's better… I suppose." Vinced the man with the ebony hair. Lyra ran to him and fell to her feet at his side. She attempted to study the wound but as Aedan's hands moved away to reveal the injury, she saw nothing. "Huh!" Uttered the dumbfounded man. "Something stabbed me in the dark, I could have sworn this will be the end of me. And yet, we are now in some creepy forest and I am unharmed. Far be it from me to complain, but an explanation would be good right about now…" He looked up into the woman's face, his green eyes searching her warm brown ones.

A frown sat on Lyra's features, her thoughts running wild, mentally searching for old stories, academic papers on daedra and aedra… Daedra… Dawnstar… 'Ugh, for Talos' sake, we just pissed off bloody Vaermina!'

"So the good news is that I think I might have an idea on where we are and the bad news is that I KNOW where we are. Welcome to Quagmire!" Her words bitter with sarcasm, Lyra held her hands apart in a mock gesture of welcome. "The realm of the daedric god of nightmares, lady Vaermina. The general clientele of this particular world is very limited, so it must be our lucky day… I haven't a clue as to how we got here, however."

"Nightmare realm of some foreign god? When I wished to leave the circle to see more of the world this is not quite what I meant." At the questioning look on the woman's kind face he added "I'll explain it later, the tale of the mages of Thedas would take quite a while to tell and I have a feeling that is something we do not have." His eyes suddenly brightened. " It seems that you might know where we are, but I believe I have some idea about the manner in which we got here." Lyra's brows bolted upwards her forehead as she eagerly awaited any additional information she could get.

"In my world, Thedas, tears started to appear to a realm beyond our own, to what we call the Fade. In short, this is a realm of spirits and demons who cannot enter our world because of the.. Well a barrier. My companions and I … Maker I hope they are alright… were attempting to close such a rift when another one appeared just behind Cassandra…" His eyes went dark as he fell silent, deep in his thoughts with worry shading his features. Lyra's hand on his arm pulled him back to their present. "I have also lost my friend as I got here. But we are still alive, they might be alright somewhere." She said encouragingly.

"I didn't lose her. Them. I pulled her away and then… I fell through. This has never happened before. The new rift had a pull unlike the rest and its magic seemed… tainted with a different type of energy foreign to me."

"Hmm...this rift of yours must have collided with some sort of an entrance to the Dreamstride. How curious!" She sounded almost excited.

"Well I am pleased the explanation of our current condition makes you so jubilant, even though we have no idea if there is a way for us to get out of this mess yet." An exasperated sigh left him. "I have to say, this might not be the fade, but it feels just as wrong being here!"

Lyra's eyes shifted to look at him with understanding. "You are right and wrong is putting it lightly if you ask me. So let's get out of here!"

"How do you imagine to do that?!" Exclaimed a flabbergasted Aedan.,

"There might just be a way. I remember reading about a scholar… Morian Zenus… He escaped the Dreamstride, so can we! Come on!" With a smile and mischief in her eyes, the women stood and held her hand towards her fellow mage.

"Alright, I will need a plan here." Aedan said as he accepted the hand held out for him. "How do we do this and where do we go from here?"

" It seems to me that both of us just being here and using a makeshift entrance affected by the magicka of your world and mine made this place pretty damn unstable. Based on my readings there are places in this realm which imitate locations and situations we know; we should look for something that seems vaguely familiar. Quagmire does not want us and I suspect there might be multiple exits we just need to find one. Or it will kill us. As to where an exit would take us, the nine only know. I am hoping to either of our worlds, however!" Her enthusiasm subsided as fast as it came. "I just wish we could find Erik on the way."

"Listen, this plan sounds rather crazy and improbable, but it is our best chance. It is probably the best your friend has right now too. When we are out we can figure out a way to get him back… if we can."

She understood of course. These were only theories at this point and the only thing that seemed to be true was that both of them cannot stay here. Time was of the essence.

The forest initially provided no clues about a route safer than others but then suddenly they happened upon a pathway, well-trodded by animals. "Let's be cautious, I cannot imagine that whatever lives in here is friendly." Suggested Lyra.

"Agreed! We might not have another world shift for some hours so it would be a shame to be eaten during that time!"

Silent and with a heightened sense of awareness they moved through the forest. Although there were some small noises coming from the depths of the woods, no living creature crossed their path. Although they certainly did not miss being chased by nightmarish beasts, something still was not quite right. Something had to be here. Such thoughts quickly left Lyra's mind as she noticed something further ahead. The shapes the trees took, as if gateways. Upon approaching one of the gateways it becomes apparent they lead to a meadow in the shape of a perfect circle. There is a feeling of familiarity around this place, but it does not seem quite right. Can it really be? This looks like a strangely floral version of the College Middens. At the realisation a blue light began to shine increasingly stronger in the center.

"Augur! Are you truly here?"

" I am what you seek, but I am not what you know. The mind of a mortal must translate a world above their capabilities according to what they understand."

Aedan grunted behind Lyra's back but she gestured for him to remain silent.

"I see, that works for me. You took the shape of the Augur for a reason, his wisdom has helped me before; and I am seeking a way out. So you must lead us out of here."

Aedan's muffled grunt was barely audible. "Shhhhsh!" Said an impatient Lyra. "I think we have to get to the light!"

"Your road leads through me but I could also be your undoing. Commanding one's attention can make them vulnerable after all."

'What a strange thing to say.' A muffled cry from Aedan finally snapped Lyra back to "reality". As she turned to him, with a sense of horror she finally realised the secret of the forest. Lengthy wooden arms were holding the man back, covering his mouth. Meanwhile wines sprouted from the ground below and were pulling him into the woods. Whether her abilities worked here remained to be seen so far, but all she could do was try. Work they did, thank the Nine, thank Talos! Throwing fire at the wines seemed to make them retreat but it was increasingly difficult to avoid burning the struggling mage. An idea hit her like a giant's club would hit a reckless wanderer. She ran towards the man throwing fire at the wines approaching her. She jumped on Aedan and shouted: "_Feim Zii Gron!"_ and they were free. No wine or tree branch could get a hold on them. The man looked gobsmacked as he brushed his ebony hair out of his face and looked incredulously at her.

"How did you?"

"Timing, Aedan!? Run!"

They set a grueling pace as they hurried towards the blue light in the middle of the clearing. Wines were still spurting out of the earth beneath them and it seemed the whole forest began to close in on them and their seemingly only way out as well. As they closed in on the fake Augur their physical form began to solidify again.' Well, we better land somewhere soft now!' Thought Lyra.

"Jump through at the same time?" Cried Aedan while keeping a steady pace next to the woman.

"Together, at the same time!" She smirked; a strange thing considering the conditions. "At least we are not alone in this pile of rubbish!"

"Hah, you are comforting!"

The pair ran at the glowing orb and jumped, leaving the world of nightmares behind.

Expecting a long fall Lyra was surprised to find solid ground under her feet so soon and toppled forward, right into a pair of strong arms. As her vision cleared and she looked up, all she could see was a pair of eyes, blue as the clearest sea.


	5. Chapter 5 - College of Winterhold

Working with mages of an unfamiliar world was not a task Rylen was looking forward to. He learned to always be prepared for the unfolding of unexpected and more likely than not, dangerous events where mages were involved. While he felt no hatred towards those with the ability to wield magic, the necessity of safeguards such as the presence of templars around them was not something he ever questioned. The situation he was presented with at Winterhold was something new, however, and the powers used by the locals were of unknown nature, one he could not affect the same way as he was taught to do in the Circle.

The situation was further complicated by the fact that the new land the Inquisition arrived in was in the middle of a bloody Civil War. They were not unprepared, however; the diary of the Lyra came in handy. He liked to think of her as Lyra, not the Dragonborn. He supposed this was somewhat strange, never having met the woman before; having become privy to many of her personal thoughts not referring to her actual name did not seem suitable anymore. She certainly had some strong opinions on this war. _"Skeever bitten sons of horkers, the lot of them!"_ \- is what she referred to all parties involved as Rylen recalled — he smiled to himself contemplating what those words might mean. Building on the information from the diary for now they managed to keep their arrival in relative secrecy, the information being contained to the College and a select few of the settlement itself. This, however, cannot last for too much longer; they needed to get Inquisitor Travelyan back as soon as possible.

The arrival of some of the companions of the Inquisitor was a welcome event. Cassandra Pentaghast, the Lady Seeker, had a strong presence that filled most templars with a good boost of confidence. She did have an air of suspicion about her, however, that the magi of the College did not miss. It was therefore an excellent decision to bring the elven mage Solas along; who had studied the rifts from the first time they had appeared and was therefore able to bond with the residence of the College with ease. As for the Tevinter… well, it remains to be seen for many of the Inquisition soldiers. Dorian of house Pavus was a fairly new addition to the Inquisition, and although he did not show any evidence of deception yet, he was a _Vint_ in the eyes of many, for now. His magic could come in handy, however, no one would debate that fact. Finally, Varric Tethras, a most intriguing character. Author and rogue, involved in everything that matters, or so it seemed.

It has been over a day since the two groups began planning how to locate and extract Aedan Travelyan and Archmage Lyra together. In the meantime lively discussions occurred on the topic of the Fade and Daedric realms and some similarities and differences between Thedas and Tamriel. The tale of different races and their use of magic by Faralda and Brelyna had both Thedosian mages captivated. The simple presence Varric also caused quite the stir amongst the people of Winterhold College. It seems dwarves are not one of the races of Skyrim; or as a matter of fact, of Tamriel. The old mage Tolfdir began what would have been an intriguing discussion with the storyteller about a people called the Dwemer, who disappeared suddenly from their world and the possibility of some connection with dwarven culture.  
"I am sure you will be able to find a more opportune time for such discussions!" Cut in Cassandra while glaring pointedly at Varric.  
"Come now Seeker!" said the author "You cannot expect me not to learn the best stories while I am able. I certainly cannot help with making our fearless leader magically appear, but you brought Sparkles and Chuckles for that. Nonetheless, I do not plan on wasting the time I have here."  
"Tell me Varric. Why did I even bring you along?"  
"My people skills, of course." the dwarf winked at her.  
"Ugh."

The focus remained on forging rescue plans, nonetheless. Getting familiar with the land Tamriel has been connected to can wait a bit longer. The shared information regarding the fade rifts of Thedas and the realms of Daedric princes seemed like a highly promising avenue of further research. The Archmage and Erik left for Dawnstar where reports of further nightmares have surfaced as of late and the date of their disappearance seemed to coincide with a period when the barrier between the realm of the Daedric Lord of nightmares, Vaermina and Tamriel was particularly weak in a few locations. It would seem barriers between different worlds also exist. These were breached when the Rift cut through to Tamriel from Thedas and caused the co-mingling of these planes in the most unlikely way. So unlikely in fact, that the mages of both lands began to question the accidental nature of this occurrence.

After lengthy discussions and detailed planning they have identified the Hall of the Elements as the most suitable area to attempt the creation of a small opening which would serve as a channel of communication to the land of nightmares, Quagmire. The combination of two very different strands of magic would (hopefully) allow for the magical detection of their presence, so this 'door' could be placed in a location near to Lyra and Aedan; and not let in all sorts of creatures of nightmares into Skyrim. Tolfdir decided it was time to begin with the spells, seeing that the plans were as good as they could get in such a short amount of time and all who were needed to be present have arrived — including a few of those _templars_ the lady Cassandra insisted on having along for their magical machinations. He was not sure what to make of them; they certainly did not trust mages, though that made them no different from the majority of Skyrim's inhabitants. There was something deeper to their distrust, however. Thankfully, it seemed they answered to a level headed Captain. His tattooed face might have intimidated some, but Tolfdir was confident in his ability to read people and as he studied him, he sensed no animosity in the man. Considering the situation, in fact, he handled himself in a highly professional and calm, albeit slightly curt and upfront manner, which seemed to ease the nerves of his people. Turning away from Rylen the mage spoke up:  
"I believe it is time to take our positions in the Hall of the Elements. We will need exceptional focus to create an opening at the correct position and we must trust each other for this to work. All of us." He looked significantly at Lady Pentaghast, who nodded solemnly.

"We are here to retrieve our Herald, our Inquisitor. You are willing to work with us on this so you have our do not know what might come through this opening however, but we will be ready."  
" Wonderful! Once the door to Quagmire is created Drevis will attempt to communicate with our lost friends through this temporary channel. In the meantime, Colette and Onmund should stand at the ready to heal when necessary. Solas and Dorian, we will need you to focus your energies on either side of our makeshift exit and keep it open as long as possible. You will receive help from us, of course. If we succeed and they come through, the door must be shut immediately. We cannot allow any creature of Vaermina's to wreak havoc in Skyrim."  
"Although taking on the position of a glorified door stop was not necessarily on the top of my to do list, I can't deny my curiosity as to what we might see." Dorian announced.  
Solas nodded in agreement "This should be an interesting endeavour!".  
"The weirdest crap excites you two!" added Varric as he readied his crossbow Bianca for a potential fight with creatures of unknown nightmares.  
Cassandra looked at the former Knight Captain. "Captain Rylen, be prepared for anything."  
"Aye, my lady!" said the man then he turned to address the small group of men and women around him. He no longer found it strange to command people of all sorts, not only templars. They were not part of the templar order after all, they were the…  
"Inquisition! It is our duty to protect these mages while they aim to rescue the Herald and their Archmage. Have your weapons ready, we cannot know what might come through that door. But do not shoot, do not attack unless you are ?"  
The answer was a unanimous and immediate "Yes, sir!". They were ready.

Once they have positioned themselves in multiple circles around the central stage of the Hall of the Elements with the mages on the inside, time seemed to act in the strangest manner. They were all so focused on the matter at hand it was hard to tell how much time has passed between the different stages of what seemed to be an extremely complex weave of spells. The air was full of magical energy of all kinds and the mages seemed to tug at the colourful strings of the very fabric of the world. Suddenly the air seemed to begin to tear at the seams along the lines where Solas and Dorian have been focusing their spells to from two sides. Bright lights of vibrant green, blue and purple lit up the room and Devris moved to the centre and began to cast his own spells towards the slowly growing tear in the air. The soldiers of the Inquisition were ready for whatever came next. Rylen was hoping that whatever it was it would come fast. Looking at the faces of the mages they were all exhausted and must have sustained this work for a long time now; although he had a hard time of telling how long exactly. His musings were disrupted by a particularly violent burst of light which seemed to expand the makeshift door significantly.  
"Something is definitely coming through!" shouted Solas.

At this point another burst of light was accompanied by the sound of people shouting, as if falling. Rylen instinctively stepped closer at this. Sure enough, the figure of a man and a woman fell out of the magical opening, out of the realm of Nightmares. The man hit the floor on all fours and began coughing for air. Meanwhile the woman stumbled forward until the Captain managed to catch and halt her staggering any further. Looking down he saw eyes the warmest shade of chocolate brown gazing back at him with great intensity.


	6. Chapter 6 - Farewell, Quagmire!

The immediate aftermath of the arrival of Lyra and Aedan can best be described as somewhat chaotic. Brelyna turned her focus from the now closing rift leading to the realm of Vaermina towards her friend whose attention was focused on the rugged man holding her. Without a second thought she lunged at her with open arms and a shout of glee, tearing her away from a puzzled looking Captain. The always composed Cassandra found herself at the side of the Inquisitor in a heartbeat, offering a hand to help the breathless man up. Meanwhile dark and sinister looking vines shot out of the breach and the mages doubled their efforts to shut down the connection to Quagmire. These turn of events spurred the Captain and his soldiers into action. Steel cut through the vines and fire burned the sentient plants as the available mages entered the fray as well. Finally, the gate to the daedric realm was shut, which acted as a guillotine cutting the vines off from their source, leaving them lifeless on the floor of the Hall of Elements. '_What an excellent opportunity to study vegetation of daedric origin_', thought the Arch-Mage. She shook her head immediately '_This is perhaps not the most appropriate time to compose a research proposal, troll brains… Right. By Magnus, we survived!'_

Relief washed over all involved in the incident as soon it was clear the danger was gone, for the moment at least. A warm welcome greeted the two leaders from their people, laughter and elated chatter filled the Hall. Lyra could hardly pry herself out of Brelyna and Onmund's embrace long enough to receive a hearty pat on the shoulder from Tolfdir and exchange quick words of comfort with her other colleagues. Aedan and Cassandra exchanged a rather awkward but heartfelt smile while the roguish dwarf, Varric, traded knowing looks with the slightly dishevelled but grinning Dorian. Even the elven mage Solas allowed a smile to alter his constantly contemplative features. The momentary happiness and lively dialogue soon transformed into a more pragmatic discussion that required the Magi and the inner circle of the Inquisition to move the conversation into the Arch-mage's quarters.

There was much to consider indeed. The news of Erik being alive in Thedas was the best news Lyra could have hoped for and it was clear for everyone that the Arch-mage was intent on bringing her friend home as soon as possible. In the meantime, however, the implications of the rift connecting their two worlds had to be considered.

"It must be closed immediately" announced the Seeker.

"Considering how different our worlds and our magic are, such a link could certainly cause a variety of calamities to befall us." nodded Tolfdir.

"While I do not disagree", interjected Lyra "we did just prove that understanding and cooperation between us is also a possibility, in spite of our differences".

"Hear, hear!" added a smiling Aedan.

"You can't be serious!" burst out Dorian and Cassandra at once.

"Well, in a manner of speaking. Ultimately, I fear we will have to close down this connection but getting to the bottom of the situation might take a long time. Learning from each other in the meantime could only benefit us and who knows, when all is done we might even come to a different conclusion to the issue."

Solas raised an eyebrow "What an open minded stance on the subject Inquisitor."

"And a foolish one. For all we know the rift could have been opened intentionally. We already had to face templars with their minds addled by red lyrium, time magic and we can look forward to confronting an ancient magister who could be the puppet master behind this very incident!" argued Dorian.

"As a matter of fact, I am quite certain this was not an accidental event". All eyes turned to Lyra. "Considering everything that had to align for this to occur on both sides, a rift of your fade connecting with an entrance to the realm of Vaermina exactly when the barrier between Quagmire and Tamriel is the weakest… I do not believe in coincidences."

Aedan hummed pensively. "Neither do I. It seems to me, however, that this sort of work needs participants on either side." Some of the mages nodded with somber faces.

"But how could that be?" exclaimed Brelyna.

"Excellent question and it is something we will have to figure out for ourselves! Looks like we must embark upon a bit of an adventure" the expression on Lyra's face could not have been more cheerful.

Varric tilted his head to the side as he gazed at the woman with an amused expression. "I would be tempted to say that if you come with us you should prepare to see some weird shit, but I have a feeling you are no stranger to the ludicrous!"

"Pfft, you could say that…'' sighed the Dragonborn, though she seemed no less cheery and she had an air of mischief about her.

Looking at the scattered remains of the deadly vines Rylen contemplated ordering his men to burn them all, but thought the better of it. When fighting the creatures, he could feel something strange in the magic that emanated from them, something familiar. The mages might be able to conduct some studies on the remains and gather more information. He recalled a passage from Lyra's journal about _the importance of curiosity and courage in academic studies. 'Research truly is just a brave step into the unknown in the hopes of finding understanding_… _I now understand that I really, truly, deeply hate frostbite spiders. Ground breaking discovery this._' Although Rylen was no scholar, he hoped understanding these creatures will be slightly more useful. By the time they were done collecting and sorting the remains footsteps and low voices could be heard coming down from the Arch-Mage's Quarter's. The soldiers of the Inquisition assembled behind their Captain. The former Knight-Captain of Starkhaven stood statuesque facing the archway, awaiting the approaching group with Inquisitor and the lady Arch-Mage in the lead.


End file.
